ONA Weekly #522: Joyce Foundation And ONA Partner On AI Training For Local News

Piloting AI training for local newsrooms

Exciting news for the AI in Journalism Initiative: We’re pleased to announce new support from the Joyce Foundation to provide training on AI uses for journalists and news executives serving communities in the Great Lakes region.

Participants will gather Aug. 28-29 in Chicago for two workshops: the AI Tools Training Workshop, to explore ways to implement AI tools into daily workflows, and the AI Readiness Workshop for Executives, to guide newsrooms on decision-making frameworks, budgets and other key steps to prepare for AI adoption. Learn more about how ONA is piloting in-depth AI training for local news through regional workshops.

We’re seeking additional funding to continue expanding the AI in Journalism Initiative and reach even more journalists and regions. To explore ways to support, contact Hanaa Rifaey, Head of Strategic Partnerships, at hanaa@journalists.org.

Register for ONA24 by Aug. 8

Getting Closer passes for ONA24 are available for just one more week! Register by Thursday, Aug. 8, to take advantage of the discounted rate for ONA members—$460 for four-day access. Passes will increase to the full price of $570 on Aug. 9; non-member registration is $650.

Plus, a reminder: The ONA24 schedule includes opportunities for deep-dive workshops and sessions with limited capacity on Wednesday and Saturday. Later this week, we’ll start to open sign-ups for these RSVP-only sessions to people already registered for the conference. Make sure to add registration@journalists.org and newsletter@journalists.org to your contacts so you don’t miss the emails.

How to analyze data with AI

Since February, Mike Reilley has led a series of highly engaging, practical training in areas such as prompt writing, image creation and fact-checking through the AI in Journalism Initiative. Don’t miss the next one: all about AI uses for data journalism. Join us Thursday, Aug. 8, to learn and practice analyzing a dataset with tools like Data Analyst, Julius AI and Claude.

The training is open to all. Tickets are $25 or free for ONA members.

Mark your calendar

• Aug. 8: AI and Data Journalism (with Mike Reilley)
• Aug. 13: AI Innovator Collaborative: Building a Career in AI and Journalism Updated with topic!
• Aug. 15: Mini Lab: AI Tools for Audio Journalists (with Davar Ardalan)
• Sept. 18-21: 2024 Online News Association Conference (Atlanta)
• Sept. 20: 2024 Online Journalism Awards Ceremony (Atlanta)
• Oct. 8: AI Innovator Collaborative
• Nov. 12: AI Innovator Collaborative
• Dec. 10: AI Innovator Collaborative

Career opportunities

ONA’s Career Center is an excellent resource for jobs, fellowships and internships in digital journalism. Recent postings include:

• Audience Editor, Social Media & SEO, The Assembly New!
• Maui Reporter, Local Government, Honolulu Civil Beat New!
• Faculty (open track/open rank) / Director of the Jordan Center for Journalism Advocacy and Innovation, University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media New!
• Managing editor, MIT Technology Review New!
• Innovation Team Project Manager, Reynolds Journalism institute
• Chief Operating Officer, The Assembly NC
• Digital News Content Producer, Atlanta News First
• Neighborhood Reporter, Colorado Public Radio 
• Product Manager, The Texas Tribune 
• Assistant Metro Editor, The Seattle Times 
• Health and Human Services Editor, The Texas Tribune 
• Reporter/Meteorologist, Weather Data Team, The New York Times

What we’re watching in AI tech

• Google is launching its new Vids productivity app in Workspace Labs with the idea that “if you can make a slide, you can make a video in Vids.”
• A report on generative AI in news commissioned by the Reuters Institute paints a nuanced picture about public attitudes towards AI in Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.
• Apple, Nvidia and Anthropic used thousands of YouTube videos to train AI without consent.
• OpenAI is testing SearchGPT.
• The AI boyfriend business is booming.